Charles n



(No Model.)

0. N. GHOATE.

7 STOP FOR REFRIGERATOR'LIDS.

No. 540,854. Patent-ed June 11,1895.

1w: NORRIS PETERS om w] c.

UNITED STATES vP T T OFFICE.

CHARLES N. CHOATE, OF GREENVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE RANNEY REFRIGERATOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STOP FOR REFRIGERATOR-HUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,854, dated June 1 1, 1 895.

Application filed December 11, 1893- Serial No. 93,441 (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. CHOATE, of Greenville, in the county of Montcalm and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stops for Lids of Refrigerators or other Receptacles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the-letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to stops or braces for use on refrigerator lids, trunk lids and other similar receptacles in which it is desirable to support the cover in an open position, and it has for its object to produce an improved device susceptible of use in different ways, or on a receptacle the lid of which it is desirable to support in changed positions under varying circumstances.

The device is extremely simple and therefore economical of construction, and is especially adapted for use in cases where it is impracticable to open the lid to its widest extent; the parts being so arranged as to be entirely out of the way when the lid is-closed and so disposed, when the lid is open as to permit free access to the interior of the receptacle without further restricting the already limited opening.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in connection with the following description. r

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a sideboard-refrigerator top provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the invention applied to any ordinary receptacle having a hinged top lid. Fig. 3 is a side view of the stop proper.

Referring to said drawings, A designates the main body of a side-board refrigerator or other receptacle, B the cover or lid and O the side-board back, the shelf c and brackets c of which are shown as partly overhanging the top of the refrigerator body proper. These parts are of any usual construction, the lid being provided with a lining packing portion D adapted to fit within the rim of the box, as is common in refrigerators.

Pivoted at one end to the vertical inner face of one end of the rim E, as at e, is a slotted brace or strap F, the opposite end of this brace being secured to the vertical end face of the packing portion D by means of a screw inserted through the slotfinto said packing portion and sliding therein as the cover is opened and closed. Sufficient room is provided between the end of said packing portion D and the inner face of the rim E to allow the brace F to rest flat-wise between them when the cover is in a closed position. The point of pivotal attachment e of the strap or brace F is so located that when the lid is opened to the desired extent this strap or brace will lie in approximately the same plane with the packing portion D of the lid and with its upper edge resting against or adjacent to the lid proper throughout the greater portion of its length. When in this position the screw ff which engages and travels within the slotf will be so set as to be at the outer end of the slot.

The slotf is of peculiar form being curved throughout its length in such manner as to carry the brace F away from the cover slightly as the latter is closed in order to prevent binding of the parts, and being also provided at its outer end with an abruptly turned or hooked portion f This hooked portion of -the slot extends backward from the main body of the slot toward the edge of the brace which engages with the inner face of the lid B, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Thus constructed and arranged, it will be obvious that when the cover has been opened sufficiently to carry the screw traveling within the slot f to the outer end of said slot a still further opening of the cover will cause the edge of the brace F to bear against the cover B near the lower or hinge edge of the same, thus producing a fulcrum at said point which will I force the outer end of the brace away from the inner face of the cover and automatically and positively carry the screw f into the hooked portion f of the slot. In this position the weight of the cover resting on the brace will tend to hold the screw f within this notch. When it is desired to close the cover the same is lifted slightly so as to relieve the weight upon the screwf' and the brace F then pushed back so as to carry the screw out of the notched part of the slot, when the cover will be free to close.

From the above description it will be obvious that a lid stop thus constructed may not only be applied so as to operate to hold the lid open at any desired position short of the vertical, but that it may also be so applied as to act as a stay to hold the lid at any desired position back of the vertical, as in the case of an ordinary refrigerator unprovided with a side-board top or when such top is removed. When so used the strap or brace F is so set that the outer end of the slotfwill act to limit the movement of the cover beyond a proper point. In order, however, to avoid all possibility of interference which might occur by reason of the notched form of the slot if so used, a second slot f of similar curved form and somewhat longer, but without the notched portion, is formed in the other end of the strap F and a second pivot aperture is provided in the end having the notched slot. This enables the brace F to be taken oft and turned end for end and reapplied with the plain slot at the outer end.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, strong and economical form of lid stop and one which works equally well in either capacity, whether used on a plain box,or under circumstances which prevent the cover from being opened fully, while at the same time the arrangement is such that the stop is at all times entirely out of the way and protected against possible injury, results not heretofore attained so far as I am aware of.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the hinged lid of a refrigerator or similar receptacle and a reversible lid stop for the same pivoted at its lower end, comprising a straight metal strap arranged edgewise with relation to its plane of movement and provided in each end with a longitudiuallyarranged slot curved throughout its length, one of said slots being shorter than the other and having at its outer end a recurved or hooked portion and a screw to operate in the same, said lid adapted when open to bear against the lower end of said stop and to force said screwinto said hooked portion, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a refrigerator or similar receptacle and its hinged lid, a lid stop comprising a metal strap arranged edgewise with relation to its plane of movement, provided at one end with a longitudinally arranged slot curved substantially throughout its length and having a recurved or hooked portion at its outer end and provided at its opposite end with a round pivot aperture, a stud or screw secured in said lid and engaging said slot, and a pivot stud securing said strap to the body of the refrigerator at a point in a plane extending through the slot-engaging stud and substantially parallel to the inner face of the lid when the latter is at the limits of its opening and closing, said lid adapted when open to force said screw into said hooked portion substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES N. CIIOA'IE. Witnesses:

F. E. RANNEY, J NO. Lnwrs. 

